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Where does the word "perennial" come from? It comes from Latin perennis, and was adopted directly into English (1640s).
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Where does the word "perennial" come from? It comes from Latin perennis, and was adopted directly into English (1640s).
Perennial’s story begins in Latin: perennis meant “lasting through the years.” Lasting through the years, from per- (through) and annus (year). It reached English by 1640s as perennial. Settled as the English word for something lasting or recurring continuously. Today, perennial means lasting or recurring continuously, or a plant that lives for several years.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient perennis "lasting through the years", lasting through the years, from per- (through) and annus (year).
- Stage 2 · English · 1640s perennial "lasting or recurring continuously over a long time", settled as the English word for something lasting or recurring continuously.